October 2016
A very tall hedge, though quite slender and with some gaps, there was enough material to make a fine laid hedge
Before ...
... during ...
... and after.
Another view of completed hedge
Close-up of work in progress
Close-up of completed hedge, complete with my advertising sign
31 yards mixed maiden hedge South of England and 16 yards Midland style. Mixed maiden hedge, Tring, Herts.
This lovely hedge was showing fine autumn colours and proved irresistably photogenic.
It is relatively unusual to find different styles of hedge laid on the same site, but here, the boundary hedge between two adjacent gardens was crying out to be laid South of England style whereas Midland style was much more suitable for the back boundary hedge
I had previously laid this client's neighbour's back boundary hedge in 2014 and in some of the photos you can see this also.
1. South of England section
This was actually two hedges planted either side of a boundary post and wire netting fence.
Start of hedge ...
... work in progress ...
... a bit further on. You can see how wide the hedge is before it is laid ...
... and finished.
Now we're looking at the same hedge from the opposite side.
The alder tree only just visible on the right in the before image ...
... gives a lovely start to the hedge
Here you can see just how much was cut out of the hedge on this side
Still on the far side of the hedge, looking back to the start, before ...
... and after.
Again you can see just how much has been cut out of the hedge
View from under birch tree, before ...
... during, note the change in light levels and outlook ...
... and after
Looking back to start of hedge
The distinctive colours of dogwood, field maple and guelder rose are all here...
... and still in the same section complete if you look carefully!
View from far end of hedge before ...
... and after with rosehips showing in the foreground
Close-up looking back to start of hedge
An alder tree planted in the hedge makes a very fine start to the hedge.
Note how the laid hedge has been taken both sides of the trunk.
A stake has been added right next to the trunk to start the binding as the trunk is too thick to take the binding.
Here you can see both how dense the hedge is as well as the wire netting running down the centre of the hedge that had to be removed.
Note the width of a South of England hedge which being a double-brushed hedge is the same on both sides.
The red and green of dogwood features prominently in the foreground.
2. Midland section
This was the back boundary hedge
Boundary hedge at end of garden before laying ...
...and laid Midland style
Laid hedge looking other way; you can see how narrow the front of the hedge is compared to a South of England hedge.
All the brush is at the back of the hedge which is usually wider than here where there was a wire fence in quite tight to the back of the hedge.
The lovely view over the top of the hedge
To keep the view the neighbour has kept his hedge the same height since I Iaid it Midland style in October 2014 (see here).
It is very rare to see a freshly trimmed Midland hedge, a newly laid South of England hedge and a newly laid Midland hedge in the same image.
This is the reverse of the image above, with the Midland hedge in the foreground, the South of England hedge at 90 degrees to it and the trimmed Midland hedge beyond.
To complete the South of England hedge, laid stems at the start of the Midland hedge were nicked to be bent round and finish the South of England hedge without leaving a gap.
Here you can compare the South of England hedge in the foreground with the Midland hedge behind and can see how differently the binding is done.
Excess brush from the Midland hedge has yet to be cleared away.